If your dream is mountain gorilla trekking in Africa, then Uganda is the place to go. We were a team of 5 members and we decided to choose Wild Gorilla Tours as our gate to Uganda on our nine day private primate safari.
Our main tourist attraction was to see mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, but since we wanted to spend some more days in Uganda, we decided to add on and visit Uganda’s wildlife National Parks including, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Kibale Forest.
We booked a car and driver and we wired the money to the company just in time to book the gorilla and chimpanzee permits. Jackie reserved for us a Land cruiser extended with capacity carrying 8 people and their luggage. It was a vibrant moment right from the commencement to the climax of the session. Jackie the tour consultant has vast knowledge and served us to the best of our need which was not easy job, thanks to the management all went well.
Rwanda and Democratic Republic Congo are currently the only other country in which these gentle giants can be encountered on a trek, and Ugandan permits are roughly half the price charged over the border. Apart from gorilla trekking, there are lots of other things to do in Uganda. The country is home to many primates and Kibale National Park offers amazing chimpanzee trekking and monkey viewing. Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks are great for game drives in a savannah environment.
Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport, we were picked by the company driver guide Emma. He shortly briefed us about our trip and off we departed to Murchison Falls National Park with a stopover at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking with en-route lunch, thrilling and learning moment about the southern white rhino and have an opportunity to see these creatures in their sanctuary before heading on to Murchison Falls National Park.
It is important to note that, Murchison Falls is the largest National Park in Uganda, located in the Northwestern part of the Pearl of Africa. We arrived at Paraa Safari Lodge in the evening, we were greeted with a cold towel and fresh squeezed juice which is the perfect “hello” after a hot and tiresome journey. The property is magical – overlooking the Nile – with exquisite lobby/restaurant/pool areas and bandas.
The following morning after a sweet breakfast. Undoubtedly the highlight of any safari is a game drive. From the comfort of rooftop 5 Seater 4×4 vehicle, we had a chance to see the buffalos, waterbucks, giraffes, hartebeests, and elephants grazing in the grasslands.
The diverse wildlife keeps us alert, seeking out one fascinating creature after another. After lunch, we set out on a launch trip to the base of the falls. Buffalo, crocodiles, hippos, and a multitude of aquatic birds lounge at the riverbanks. Late in the evening, we returned to lodge for our dinner and overnight stay.
The next day after a warm breakfast, we set off from Murchison Falls to Kibale National Park via Home city as we headed to Fort Portal with lunch en-route, beautiful clean town nestled in the shadow of the legendary and mystical Mountains of the Moon. Later in the day we reached Kibale National Park and checked in our reserved accommodation, Kyaninga Lodge for our dinner and overnight stay.
The beautiful facility with individual cabins, each overlooking a gorgeous lake. The staff was excellent, friendly and helpful. The rooms were clean and spacious. The food was delicious and plentiful. Monkeys kept us company as we walked through the property. An added bonus is knowing how much the owners give back to their community.
On day four we trekked the chimpanzees. After an early organic farm fresh breakfast, our driver picked us and transferred us to the chimp tracking briefing point at Kibale Forest. The rangers took us through the chimp trekking protocols on how to act around primates. Within 2 hours we found the chimps and spent only one hour with them. This was one of the magical experience in Kibale Forest we can ever do again. We later returned to our lodge for lunch and in the evening we set out to Bigodi Swamp, an ideal place for bird lovers. After a satisfying day of exploration, we returned to our lodge in time for dinner.
Another day, we drove through the scenic Crater Lakes and into Queen Elizabeth National Park. It was time to leave Kibale Forest and head out for a brief tour of Lake Nkuruba and Kasenda craters, we were able to see the magnificent views of the vibrant crater lakes, cradled in vegetation and gentle rolling hills.
After lunch, we embarked our drive to the iconic Queen Elizabeth National Park just in time for an evening game drive. Chances are you’ll see warthogs, buffalo, waterbucks, and elephants before checking in for a night at Honey Bear Bush Camp with the panoramic vistas of the Kazinga Channel and Rwenzori Mountains
On day five we had a morning game drive and in the afternoon boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The crisp morning opens with a game drive to seek out various game. This is a great opportunity for wildlife sightings as animals tend to be more active in the hours, one of the happy moments in this park. Lunch was served and in the afternoon we headed out for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Hippos, crocodiles, and other mammals, reptiles, and birds congregate at the shores in the afternoon heat, a thrilling moment to watch.
On day 6, we traveled to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park home to Uganda’s mountain gorillas. We checked out of our rooms and drove to Ishasha sector south of the park and we were lucky to see the tree climbing lions. We had lunch and continued to Bwindi Forest traversing the stunning landscapes of this region. Our reserved accommodation was the Silverback Lodge in Buhoma Sector.
What a splendid place to end our trip. The first thing I noted about the lodge on arrival, were the beautiful terraced gardens. The lodge is on elevated ground and overlooks the Bwindi Forest. The open reception area is absolutely beautiful, and I loved sitting there and listening and watching an array of different birds
The highlight of our safari trip on day seven was Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Batwa Community Cultural Experience. Very early in the morning, we had our breakfast, ready with our hiking boots, long sleeves shirt and trouser, sun glasses, full charged a camera and packed lunch, we set off to Bwindi headquarters for our gorilla adventure.
When we arrived at Bwindi headquarters, we were given a short briefing about the dos and don’ts about the gorillas and the forest. Since we were a group of 5 people, the ranger added only 3 people to make a group of 8 people to trek the given family. We were in Rushaga sector and were given Nshongi gorilla family. Off we entered the forest to search for our cousins.
We hiked steep and mild ranges of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest while on the course to look for the prized mountain gorillas. Trekking can take anything from 2 – 8 hours. But us we managed to walk for 2 and half hours to locate them. Once spotted, we were given a chance to watch and observe them for one hour while taking photos as well as learning about them from the dedicated team of Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The day was climaxed with the culture-enriched Batwa Experience and after the experience, we traveled to Lake Bunyonyi for our dinner and overnight stay at Birdnest Resort. We arrived via boat, which is the perfect entrance as you can see truly how special this place is front the water. We headed up to reception and were greeted with welcome juices and the dinner menu. The menu was huge and everything sounded delicious.
We were then shown to our rooms and they were huge. My balcony was perfect for the views and the extra-large shower and hot water were a welcome site. Dinner was absolutely amazing, do not miss the crayfish dishes because you won’t see them anywhere else in Uganda.
We had a relaxing morning with breakfast as we checked out and it was time to say goodbye to the south western and we traveled back to Kampala Entebbe for our night flight back home.
Great thanks goes to Wild Gorilla Tours and team. They booked us into the best lodges and traveled, guided us with no hesitation or bias. According to the way they guided us you could tell that they loved what they were doing. Having the Wild Gorilla Tours staff with us made the trip a success and really enjoyable.
